Taking the Chance
by Exdeathmore
Summary: Based on Roll NEO's "Teen Titans: Zero Saga", with her permission. There are consequences to every action we take or don't take, some good, some bad. But you'll never know unless you take the chance... Rated for language and mild violence, Zero/Raven.
1. Memoirs of a Red Knight

**Zero Saga: Taking the Chance by Exdeathmore

* * *

**

**Note from the Author:** Teen Titans and all related characters are (c) DC Comics. Zero and all related characters are (c) Capcom. The original Zero Saga fanfic is (c) Roll NEO. This story is being written with Roll NEO's consent. This prologue is a retelling of the events in Zero's life in the Zero Saga story, according to Roll NEO's original plans for it.

* * *

**Notice:** It is in my opinion that this story is best read at 1/2 width view.

* * *

**Prologue:** Memoirs of a Red Knight

Take one look at all the things that have happened to me recently, and you'd probably see a follower, a soldier, or a hero. But when I look at it, I see nothing of the sort. All I see is a broken man, trying to piece his life back together, even though he's a piece short of the full puzzle.

It all began almost 5 years ago. I was new to the agency, a fresh recruit handpicked by their leader off the streets. He said I had a natural talent, and that with proper training, I could be the best. But there was always one person ahead of me: "Him". I can't even say his name because of the emotions it stirs up when I hear it now. Back then, he was the best, no questions asked. He was my mentor: the one who I shaped my mold around, the guy I wanted to be. I respected him, I wanted to be him. I even had the honor of going on a mission with him, side by side. He even considered me as his equal during that mission. I felt like a kid in a candy store, like my life couldn't get any better.

Boy, was I wrong.

* * *

About a year later, that image of perfection was shattered utterly and completely. That man, the one I idolized, worshipped, had gone rogue. He betrayed his oath to protect those who couldn't protect themselves, betrayed the comrades who knew him for so long, and he betrayed my trust. It was so sudden, so unexpected, that it took everyone by surprise. Nobody had any idea as to why he would do such a thing, but I think I did.

He had been set out on a solo mission the day before, to track down and confront a shady individual. It sounded like everything had gone smoothly, but when he came back, I could see the changes in him. His face was deadpan, like a part of the life in his eyes was gone, torn away from him. I had asked him what had happened, but he said nothing. Then, he turned to me.

"Despite all we've done, in the end, we still accomplished nothing."

Those were the last words I had heard from him, until 6 months later. I was dispatched to a location reported to have heavy terrorist activity, a factory to be exact. What I saw inside... you could probably guess. It was him, using the factory equipment to produce robots. I asked him why, and he gave me two words:

"Making progress."

I tried to hold him there to the best of my abilities until reinforcements could arrive, but he was too good for me to handle. By the time backup arrived, he had already escaped. At my debriefing, it became official that he was a traitor, and should be dealt with by any means necessary.

* * *

For two years, almost all of our resources went to tracking down the traitor, but he was always two steps ahead. He knew all of our secrets, all of our tactics. My commander finally decided that we needed help; superhuman help. He brought her in about the same fashion as he did me. At the time, I was still reeling inside from "his" betrayal, so I didn't trust anyone, especially someone from outside the agency. I pushed her away many times, but she kept trying to cooperate. Eventually, I gave in, and the two of us became partners. Unfortunately, it would not last for long.

The two of us were sent to another robot factory the traitor was using to amass his army. I let my guard down for an instant, and he used it to its full advantage. But she saw it coming. She shoved me out of the way, taking the shot meant for me. She lay in my arms, bleeding to death. I begged for her to hang on until the medics arrived, but they would never make it in time.

"Why?" I asked her. "Why did you do it?"

"My fate was set in stone the day I was born, to fight as a soldier, and to die on the battlefield. You have the freedom of not being bound to any one fate. I want you to live, to have a chance to live the life I could never have, to create your own destiny..." And then, she died, right there in my hands.

At that very moment, I completely lost myself. I never felt such a swirling torrent of emotions before: anger, sorrow, hatred, despair. I wanted to avenge her, I wanted to find that murderer and stop him forever.

I wanted to kill him.

* * *

A month or two after the incident, I had gone AWOL on my commander, to search for the traitor myself. I traveled across the country, searching for any sign of his presence, but all my attempts were fruitless. My search brought me to the West Coast, to a place called Jump City. It was there that I encountered not only my nemesis's forces, but also a group of heroes who would soon be my closest companions: the Teen Titans.

Robin, the leader of the group. I heard a lot about him, about his past, though he never mentions it. He's a little uptight, but that's just because he wants to make sure the team is coordinated and focused on getting the job done. He and I are the same: we weren't born with powers, but we still found a way to make ourselves super. His way was through mastery of martial arts and acrobatics, mine was through a suit of powered armor and a rigorous government training program.

Cyborg, the brains of the outfit. He's probably the one I could relate to the closest, physically speaking. With the amount of time I wear my armor, it might as well be my body. I have some general knowledge about technology involving manipulating light particles, the basis for my weapon of choice, my beam saber, and my vehicle, the Ride Chaser. I had to know at least the basics since I had left the agency. Occasionally, I help out Cyborg with his projects, sharing what little knowledge I have if it can contribute in any way.

Starfire, the first alien I've ever met. She's a Tamaranean, and quite the looker. From what I heard from the others, she was actually the heir to the throne on her homeworld, but turned down the offer to stay on Earth. She seems cheerful, and maybe a little naive. She's still getting used to how things are done here on Earth, but she seems to enjoy almost every new experience. There's an obvious relationship between her and Robin, so she's off limits in that matter.

Beast Boy... what can I say? He's a living wildcard: he's happy, mischievous, tries to be witty, and a little bit of everything else. At first glance, you would think he was a complete goof-off, but he has his moments when his true genius shines through. My only personal advice is, don't try to engage in any overly intelligent conversations, or you might lose him at the first word or so. I've heard about some personal troubles he's had in the past, like his times in the Doom Patrol, and also a little affair with a girl that he doesn't like to talk about. I can tell he's hurting inside whenever the topic comes up. I should know; I've already been there...

And lastly, there's Raven... enigma personified. She's the most introverted of the team, and takes just about everything seriously. The others tell me she has demi-demonic powers, powers that she gained from her father, a demon lord named Trigon. She absolutely loathes him, as I'm sure anyone else would. Try as I might, I can never figure out what's going through her mind. We got off to a very rocky start when I first arrived, but now, she treats me just like the others.

* * *

Day after day, battle after battle, I, along with the Titans, fought side by side to hunt down the traitor I had been searching for. Eventually, he revealed himself to me, and in my enflamed passion, foolishly rushed headfirst into his trap. That day, I got hurt. _Badly_. He not only beat me in single combat, but he also severed my left arm with my own weapon. I should have died that day...

...but she was there for me.

I was in a shock-induced coma from my injury. I couldn't move or see anything, I could only hear the faint voices of my teammates. I heard them talking about what they could do for me. They were talking about replacing my arm with a cybernetic one, and wondered if I would even survive at all. Then she stepped forward. I could hear Raven volunteer to keep an eye on me, and gave a shocking proposal to resolve the situation. She said that she could use her powers and attempt to reattach my original arm back onto my body. It sounded gross, but if it could work, I was more than willing to try, though I couldn't say it at that time.

Time passed by... I felt myself slipping in and out of consciousness. It might have actually been between life and death. My partner's words echoed through my mind, 'You have to live... you have to live...' I wept inside, thinking that I wouldn't be able to keep that promise. Then suddenly, I felt a tingling sensation in my left arm. My left arm! I knew right then that Raven's plan had worked. I felt new life being breathed into me. I struggled to open my eyes, to move, to do anything at all. Light flooded into my eyes as they opened, and as my vision cleared, there they were, five faces of relief. I immediately received a friendly hug from Starfire (though I think that might've popped something out of place), and welcome backs from the guys. I wanted to thank them all for going through so much trouble to help me even though it was my fault the situation even occurred.

"Don't thank us," Robin said, "thank Raven. It was her idea, and she stayed here the whole time to make sure you pulled through." At the time, I honestly couldn't believe what I heard. Raven, who left a first impression on me that she was the kind of person to always kept to herself, had stayed at my bedside the entire time I was unconscious, trying to reattach my arm? This changed my entire outlook of her. The person who hardly showed any emotion at all had shown me genuine concern.

* * *

I never had the time to properly thank Raven, due to the current circumstances. We were able to find the traitor again, but this time, I came prepared. After 3 years of chasing his shadow, I had finally beaten him. At that moment, I had the perfect opportunity to end his wretched life, to ensure that he would never trouble anyone again. I hated him, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. If my partner were still alive, she would never forgive me if I became the very monster I was trying to stop. As we handed the traitor over to the authorities, he glared at me and grinned.

"This isn't the end, Zero. Not until one of us is dead. You and I are linked; fated to fight forever!" With that, he was shipped off to prison, where he's rotting in his cell to this day, as far as I know. His last words to me chilled me to the bone, but at the same time, I felt a wave of relief. My heart was finally at ease, my partner's death avenged. After releasing all that pent up emotion, I felt a little empty inside, hollow. I was lost and confused; I had no idea what I should do next. Then, one day, the thought occurred to me...

"Maybe it's about time I thanked her..."


	2. Insight

**Zero Saga: Taking the Chance by Exdeathmore**

* * *

**Chapter 1: Insight**

As the sun rose from the horizon, Zero sat on the roof of Titans Tower alone, his long hair swaying in the morning breeze, staring in a certain direction. Off in the distance, he could make out the shape of the city prison.

"'Fated to fight forever', huh?" he asked himself, letting out a deep sigh. Just then, he heard the sound of a door opening and closing behind him. Zero turned around to see Robin.

"I was wondering where you were," Robin said with a smile. "Didn't think you'd be up here."

"Yeah, well, I'm just that kinda guy, I guess. Never know what I'll do next, not even me." Zero looked back towards the prison as Robin walked up beside him.

"Thinking about something?"

"A lot of things, actually... How long has it been? A week, two weeks?"

"Since what?" Robin looked in the same directon as Zero, and realized what he was looking at. "Oh..."

"I'm still a little mixed up inside, is all. I devoted the last three years of my life to hunting down that traitorous murderer, and now that he's in prison... I have no idea what to do next." Zero raised his left arm, looking at it. "I'm still grateful for what you guys did for me, even if it wasn't necessary. I owe you in more ways than you can imagine."

"If you're talking about helping you stop him, it's only natural. He did threaten our city. If you're talking about your arm, you don't owe us anything. That's what friends are for."

"Friends, huh...?" Zero chuckled to himself. "Been a while since I've heard that word. I'm usually used to hearing 'comrade', 'teammate', or 'partner' in its place." Zero stood up. "Any reason you were looking for me, Robin?"

"Just wanted to know if you wanted breakfast. Cyborg just whipped up..."

* * *

"...a pancake _mountain_, ya'll!" Cyborg shouted as he, Beast Boy, and Starfire marveled at the mound of food. Just then, Robin and Zero entered the room. "Yo, Z, you're just in time to dig in! How many can you handle? 15? 25?"

"40," Zero said confidently. "I'm feeling especially peckish right now. Just point me to the syrup!" He looked around the room, and noticed that Raven wasn't around. "Actually... put that on hold, I'll be right back. Don't wait up for me!" Zero dashed out of the room.

"Whatever you say! Just don't complain if they're all gone when you get back!"

* * *

Zero walked down the hallway connecting to the living quarters, and stopped in front of Raven's room. He lifted his arm, but stopped just before he was about to knock on her door. He stepped back, and took a look at his left arm again, twisting and flexing it.

'I'm grateful and all,' he thought, 'but there's still one thing I gotta find out...' Zero approached the door and started knocking lightly. "Raven, you awake in there?" he asked. "Sorry if I'm interrupting your meditation or something else important..." There was no response as he kept knocking, looking away. Suddenly, the door slid open, and Raven stepped into the doorway. Zero kept knocking, except now it was on her head. He turned back to the door and realized what he was doing. "Eep!" Zero jumped back. "Uh... hi."

"What do you want?" Raven asked him in an aggravated tone.

"Uh, well... that is... I was wondering, um... wanna join the rest of us for pancakes?" Zero grinned, sweating. Raven simply glared at him.

"No." She turned around and headed back into her room, the door sliding shut behind her.

"No, wait!" Zero grabbed the door, pushing back against it. "That wasn't what I wanted to say! I wanted to ask you something else!"

"If it has anything to do with Stankball, tell Cyborg and Beast Boy the answer's no." A small black bolt shot out from Raven's forehead, knocking Zero back and allowing the door to close completely.

"What? No, no, nothing like that! This is about something serious! About back then... with my arm and, you know..."

"That was two weeks ago. Why are you bringing it up now?" Raven asked, the door still separating them.

"Well, I never really got a chance to say it, but... thanks. If it wasn't for you, I probably wouldn't be standing here right now."

"It was nothing. It's what teammates do for eachother."

"Easy for you to say. You weren't the one who his arm sliced off." Zero paused, rubbing the back of his neck. "I also gotta know something else... why did you do it?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why did you go through the trouble of reattaching my original arm when it would've been quicker and made more sense just to replace it with a cybernetic one like Cyborg suggested?"

"..." Raven didn't respond.

"Raven? Did you hear me?"

"...I did. My reasons are... I can't talk about it now."

"Well, when can you talk about it?"

"Later. Just, not now."

"Well... okay then. Later, I guess. Sorry for bothering you." Zero quietly walked away from the door and headed back towards the living room. As the sound of his heavy metal footsteps faded, Raven resumed her lotus position and continued to meditate.

* * *

"They're all gone!!" Zero screamed, grabbing his head. When he had returned to the living room, the first thing he noticed was that all the pancakes Cyborg made were gone.

"I tried to warn ya," said Cyborg. "Actually, Starfire wouldn't stop eating, until she ran out of mustard."

"Forgive me, friend Zero," Starfire apologized, "but I simply could not resist the fluffy sweetness of the cakes of pan."

"It's okay, Star..." Zero wept, resting his head on the kitchen counter. "Sweet pancakes, I hardly knew ye..."

"Where did you go, anyway?" Robin asked him.

"I just went to see if Raven wanted to join us. She said no thanks."

"Pft, could've told you that earlier," Beast Boy said. "She only comes out of her room when she feels like it."

"It's called common courtesy. You do it even if you already expect what will happen." Just then, there came a beeping from Zero's armpiece. "Oop, time for training. Anyone care to join me?"

"I'm in," said Robin. "I could use a sparring partner. Besides, it's been a while hasn't it? You still have a score to catch up with."

"Score? What score?"

"Let's see, I think it's 5 wins for me, and 2 for you."

"You were keeping track of that!? Oh, you are _so_ on!" With that, Zero bolted out of the room, Robin smiling as he followed.

* * *

"Eeyahh!" Zero swung around with a hard right kick.

"Hahh!" Robin grabbed Zero's leg, flipping him over. Before hitting the ground, Zero landed on his hands and quickly recovered. He charged at Robin, and the two were locked in position.

"Hey, Robin..." Zero managed to grunt.

"Yeah?" Robin asked.

"I got some questions I wanna ask you." The two broke off their deadlock, and quickly resumed exchanging punches and kicks.

"What kind of questions?" Robin asked, still sparring with Zero.

"About when I almost lost my arm, and about Raven."

"What about it?"

"Do you have any idea why she suggested to reattach my original arm?" Zero grabbed Robin by the waist, and flipped him over, attempting a suplex. Robin stopped himself by putting out his arms towards the floor, and swung his legs over, flipping Zero instead, knocking him to the ground.

"Not really. Why the sudden concern?"

"Ow..." Zero slowly got up. "It just seems... odd, you know? It was completely illogical, and from what I've seen of her, that doesn't seem her style. I thought I'd ask you, since you've known her for longer. I considered asking the others, but BB and Cyborg probably wouldn't take me seriously, and Starfire seems to be in the dark as much as I am."

"I hate to say it, but I can't really say I know more about her than anyone else, though she knows a lot about me."

"How so?"

"Long before you joined the Titans, I was having a certain problem. Raven was able to help by looking into my mind and ease some of my trauma during that time. Maybe the reason for her suggestion is similar to the reason she entered my mind."

"To try and ease my trauma? Never thought she was the sympathetic type..."

"I know from personal experience, Zero. Raven is a really kind person, it's just... she doesn't have a lot of opportunities to show that kindness."

"Opportunities? What's that supposed to mean?"

"That's right, no one really told you, did they?" Robin approached Zero, placing his hand on his shoulder. "I think it's about time someone told you about the _real_ Raven..."

* * *

That night, everyone had already gone to bed. Everyone except Zero. He headed up a flight of stairs and opened the door at the end, leading outside to the roof. Once he stepped out, the first thing he saw was Raven.

"I got your message," he said, approaching her. "Now then, you're ready to give me an answer? Let's hear it: why did you go through such trouble for my sake?"

"..." Raven looked away for a moment, then looked back at Zero. "When you were unconscious, before I made that suggestion, I had to tend to your wound in order to stop the bleeding. While I was focusing my powers on that, something else happened..."

"What 'something else'?"

"It was an accident. I... ended up probing into your mind."

"You... read my thoughts?"

"Not by choice. Something drew me in, like something was pulling at me. Even as I only scraped the surface, I immediately felt an intense wave of emotions. Sorrow, anger, hatred, remorse... all of them stemming from the exact same thing... your memories of that man. That was when I made the decision. The last thing your mind needed was another horrible memory caused by that person."

"So, you did it out of pity for me?" Zero asked. "And what do you mean you were 'drawn in'? Are you saying that I _forced_ you to read my mind?"

"Maybe, maybe not. Even I'm not entirely sure." Raven began heading back inside. "That's all I have to say, if that's all you have to ask."

"Wait," Zero said just as Raven passed him. She stopped, their backs turned to eachother. "Are you sure that's the only reason?" he asked her.

"What are you talking about?"

"...Nothing. I won't keep you here longer than you want to be. Good night, Raven."

"Right..." Raven then proceeded to go back inside the tower. Zero stepped forward further, until he reached the edge of the roof. He sat down, hanging his legs over the edge, looking up at the night sky.

"...There's something more to it than what she said," Zero said to himself. "I can feel it..."


	3. Confession

**Zero Saga: Taking the Chance by Exdeathmore**

* * *

**Chapter 2: Confession**

The next morning, everyone was up bright and early. In the living room, Beast Boy and Cyborg were arguing over whose turn it was to cook breakfast, Robin and Starfire sat at one end of the sofa watching a television show, while Raven sat on the other end, quietly reading a book.

"Dude, I'm telling you it's my turn to cook, and you know it!" Beast Boy shouted at Cyborg. "You just cooked yesterday!"

"And I'm telling you if you're going to cook, then it ain't gonna be anything made of soy!" Cyborg retorted. Before the conversation could get anymore heated, the door slid open, and Zero entered the room.

"Actually, it's my turn," he said, interrupting.

"Morning, Z," Cyborg said. "You got here just in time!"

"Hey, not cool!" Beast Boy said, glaring at Cyborg.

"Don't worry, BB," said Zero as he pulled out some pots and pans, "I'm taking custom orders this morning! So, what'll be everyone's pleasure?"

"French toast!" said Cyborg.

"Eggs and bacon, tofu-style, of course!" said Beast Boy.

"Ham and eggs, sunny side up," Robin added.

"I would like a helping of stewed glorft supreme!" Starfire said. Zero gave her an odd look.

"Uh... I don't think I know how to make that..." Zero said.

"Oh, well... then I shall have what Robin is having."

"..." Raven said nothing.

"All right, then, one breakfast buffet, coming right up!" Before Zero could start cooking, the alarms began blaring. "Aw, man..."

"Looks like breakfast will have to wait!" Robin said. "Titans, move!"

* * *

"Look out!" a police officer shouted as he leapt out of the way of incoming gunfire. A small army of blue robots with singular red eyes, armed with machine guns embedded in their arms marched towards the police station. Above were more blue robots, with winged jetpacks, raining lasers down on the retreating officers. Suddenly, several green bolts came out of nowhere, shooting down some of the airborne robots. The robots stopped their advance and turned around to see the Titans.

"The Pantheon!?" Cyborg said. "Yo, I thought we put X in jail!"

* * *

**Inbetween: **Hey, Zero here. You're probably wondering, who the heck are the Pantheon and X? Simple answer: they're the guys I was hunting down for the past three years. The Pantheon are an army of single-minded robots, led by their creator, X (not to be confused with Red X!). X was the man I once idolized, the one who betrayed me, and murdered my partner. He's also the one who cut off my arm. Like Cyborg said, we eventually did beat X, and personally shipped him off to prison, where he should still be now.

* * *

"We did," said Zero, "but it's not exactly hard to reproduce these robots. The plans for them must have been leaked somehow. Question is, who has them now?"

"We'll find that out after we put these tin cans back in their place... the junk heap!" said Robin. "Titans, go!"

"I already wasted three years tearing you things apart to get to your creator," Zero said, lashing out his beam saber. "The last thing I want now is to deal with you even _after_ I took him down! Hahhh!" He swung wildly at the robots, slicing any in his way to pieces.

The Pantheon robots took aim at Robin, firing their machine guns. Robin ducked and weaved past the approaching trail of bullets, hurling several Birdarangs at them. The projectile blades easily cut through their metal bodies as they dropped to the ground. More robots approached, rushing past the debris. Their machine gun arms transformed into batons, sparking with electricity. They continued swinging and thrusting at Robin, until one of the robots was grabbed by the arm by a large, metal fist. The robot looked up to see Cyborg's face.

"Booyah," he grinned, pulling back his fist. With a hard right hook, he knocked the robot's head clean off. He then ripped the robot's arm off it's lifeless body, and hurled it at another. The baton pierced its chest, and the robot began twitching uncontrollably until it exploded. "Man, this is really getting old! They seriously need to learn some new tricks!"

"Incoming heavy on your six, Cy!" Zero shouted to him. Cyborg turned around to see a larger, armored version of the robots, armed with a shield and spiked mace fist, charging straight towards him. It pulled back its arm, and launched the spiked ball like a wrecking ball, striking Cyborg square in the chest and sending him flying. Just then, there came an angry mooing sound. The robot looked to its left to see Beaast Boy, in the form of a bull, charging. Even as it raised its shield in defense, the force of the impact knocked it back, into a group of the smaller robots.

"Strike!" Beast Boy cheered as he morphed back. His celebration was cut short, however, as another heavy-armored Pantheon robot smashed into him with its shield. As the battle on the ground continued, Starfire and Raven had their hands full above, weaving past the formations of the flying Pantheon drones.

"They are most persistent, yes?" Starfire asked as another squadron rushed by them, nearly clipping her.

"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos!" Raven chanted as she turned around. Black bolts extended from her hands, flying past the robots, and forming into a wall in front of them as they crashed headfirst into it. "Yeah, but they're still dumb as bricks." Suddenly, two shadows rushed by, tackling both girls. They turned around to see two more Pantheon flyers, except their design was more intricate, and visors covering their red eyes. "Pantheon Aces! Starfire!"

"I will take care of this!" Starfire said, flying towards the two robots. The robots fired several shots at her, and quickly began to fly away. Starfire quickly swerved out of the way, and quickly retaliated. "Hah, hah, hah! Errahhh!" She launched three starbolts, followed up by a shot from her eyes. One of the Pantheon Aces avoided two of the starbolts, but was forced into a position to be struck by the third. Starfire's eye beams streaked across the sky, until they ran across the second robot's wings, cutting them apart as it plummeted to the ground.

"I think that was the last of them," Raven said. "Now, we should–" Before she could finish, one of the falling Ace robots turned upwards and fired one final shot before crashing to the ground. The surprise attack caught Raven completely off guard, making a direct hit. "Ahh!" she screamed in pain as she began to fall out of the sky.

"Raven!" Zero looked up to see his friend in distress. He quickly rushed over and leapt up, propelled further by a small burst from the miniature thrusters on the bottom of his boots. He caught her and landed hard, but safely. "You okay?"

"Unnh..." Raven moaned. "I will be. Thanks." She looked at Zero for a moment. "You can let go, now."

"Huh? Oh, sorry!" Zero immediately let go, putting Raven down on her feet. Just as he did, Robin dealt the finishing blow to the last Pantheon robot, knocking its head off with his bo staff.

"Looks like that's the last of them," Robin said as he put his staff away. "Only thing left now is to help with the cleanup."

"Yeah, but we still don't know who sent these robots," said Beast Boy, "or why they decided to target the police station."

"It couldn't be Slade," said Cyborg, "this was too direct."

"It couldn't be X, either," Zero added. "He should still be in prison, and I highly doubt he could escape without _somebody_ noticing."

"We'll look into it some more after we get back to the Tower," said Robin.

* * *

Later that day, back at the Tower, the Titans were getting some well-deserved rest after their battle and subsequent cleanup. Robin was seated at his laptop in his room, going through a list of villains, when Zero entered the room.

"Any breakthroughs?" Zero asked, looking at the monitor.

"Nothing, yet," said Robin. "A lot of things about the incident don't add up. Pantheon robots, attacking police headquarters. X is in prison, and there's nothing to gain from destroying the police headquarters."

"Maybe not... There may not be anything to steal from the police, but if someone could take down their headquarters, they could gain a lot of bragging rights. I don't think this was a simple robbery or wanton destruction..."

"...It was an exhibition. There would be a lot of people interested in having their own Pantheon army if they had succeeded. There's only one person I can think of that would operate like this." Robin began typing hastily at his computer, and brought up a profile of an old man in a white hazmat suit. "Professor Chang. Weapons dealer to the rich and evil."

"Sounds like you're pretty sure. Now we just need to figure out where ol' Whiskers is hiding."

"I can handle that. Thanks, Zero. You just saved me a lot of time."

"Heh, you're not the only supersleuth, you know. By the way, where are the others? I couldn't find them."

"Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Starfire are training right now, and I think Raven's in her room meditating."

"Okay then," Zero said as he headed for the door. "If you need me, I'll be in the living room, watching the tube." Just before he left, though, Robin looked at him.

"Hold on a second, Zero," Robin said.

"What is it?"

"I was thinking about yesterday. I think you were interested in more than just your arm. Anything you want to talk about?"

"...Not really. It's just a personal thing, so don't worry about me. Don't let it get in the way of finding Chang." Zero then left the room.

* * *

When Zero got to the living room, he was surprised to find Raven, sitting alone at the sofa, reading a book.

"Oh, Raven," Zero said, hopping over the sofa and into a seat. "Wasn't expecting to see you here." He reached for the remote. "Hope you don't mind if I do some channel surfing."

"Knock yourself out," said Raven, "just keep the volume low enough so I can still focus on reading."

"No problem." Zero turned on the television and began flipping through the channels, trying to find something interesting to watch. Occasionally, he looked over to his side, looking at Raven. "So... that book interesting?"

"If it wasn't, would I be reading it?"

"Good point." Zero turned his attention back to the TV for a moment. After about a minute or two, he looked back at Raven. "Think that book would be interesting to me?"

"Depends on your tastes."

"I see... I'm more of a drama person, myself... Hey–"

"What!?" Raven growled at Zero. "What do you want?"

"I was just trying to strike up a conversation, that's all."

"Why?"

"Last night, before our little chat session, Robin told me some things about you... well actually, he told me a lot of things. Things I didn't know until now. You never told me you had to supress your emotions to control your powers."

"It's a minor detail. There was no reason you had to know."

"I'd say that's far from minor. If I knew that sooner, I'd understand a little better why you tend to give a bit of a cold shoulder to everyone. Doesn't it upset you that you can never fully express yourself like everyone else?"

"Why does it matter? Why are you so concerned about it?"

"It bothers me because I..." Zero paused, clearing his throat. "I just wanted to get to know you a little better. I also thought that if we talked, we might find something we have in common, and..."

"And what?"

"...Raven, I–" Before Zero could finish, the alarms began to go off for the second time. He looked down at his armpiece and pressed a small, obscure button. "What is it, Robin?"

"I think I've found where Chang's operating from," came Robin's voice. "I'm sending the coordinates to you and the others now. Move!"

"We'll finish this conversation later." Zero sprung out of the sofa as he and Raven raced out the door.

* * *

"Deadly, efficient, and easily manufactured..." Professor Chang said, looking towards several monitors displaying various people. Behind him stood a battalion's worth of Pantheon robots of all varieties, inactive and standing at attention. "For the right price, the initial production group can be yours, and, for an added fee, so can the means to make even more!"

"Interesting offer, Professor," said one of the people on the monitors, "but I want to see a demonstration of these automatons' performances."

"But of course. I would be more than happy to–" Suddenly, there was an explosion from behind, knocking many of the robots around. Chang gasped when he turned around to find the Titans.

"Hate to interrupt your little auction, Chang," said Robin.

"But bidding is now closed," Zero added.

"The Teen Titans..." Chang grinned. "Ah, and the new good boy in town. You're just in time. You'll make for a perfect demonstration for my clients. Destroy them, my drones!" The remaining Pantheon robots simultaneously activated, their red eyes glowing brightly. They quickly turned and began swarming the Titans. As the robots converged on one spot, various parts and pieces flew across the air. As the room was lit up by blue, green, and black bolts, Zero forced his way past the charging robots, headed for Chang. He tackled Chang head-on, grabbing him by the collar of his suit.

"You picked the wrong robots to knock-off, Chang," Zero said to him, "because just looking at them puts me in a _very_ bad mood." Just then, two green Pantheon robots, armed with large claws, dropped down from above, forcing Zero to let go of Chang and jump back. He quickly brandished his saber as the two robots swung at him.

"It looks like the good boy has a _bad_ attitude," Chang said as he watched Zero fend off the Pantheon slashers. As he watched, a heavy-armored Pantheon came flying out of nowhere, knocking into him.

"Booyah! That's for blindsiding me earlier today!" Cyborg yelled at the robot. "Z, ya need a hand?"

"Don't worry, Cyborg, I can handle these lightweights!" Zero replied, parrying another swipe from the green Pantheon robots. He raised his saber and brought it down, cutting across one of the robot's shoulders and in two. As he turned towards the second, he was caught unaware as the robot slashed him across his stomach, a vulnerable point petween the pieces of his armor. "Aagh!" Zero fell to his knees, clutching his wound. The robot raised its arm, ready to strike again.

"Zero!" Starfire cried out. Her eyes glew brightly as she hurled a starbolt at the Pantheon slasher. The bolt hit, vaporizing the robot's clawed arm. It looked up at its destroyed limb, and was quickly struck again in the face. Starfire flew to Zero's side and helped him to his feet. "Zero, you are injured!"

"This is nothing, I'll be fine." Starfire looked at Zero's wound, and saw blood trickling down his hand.

"But you are not fine! You are bleeding! You are in no condition to continue fighting!"

"I said I'll be fine..." Zero looked around. "Where'd Chang go?" He turned around, and saw Professor Chang running for an exit. "He's getting away!"

"Not for long," said Raven. "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos!" The ground below Chang was enveloped in a black aura, and was pulled out like a banana peel, knocking Chang to the ground. Beast Boy then morphed into a large python and slithered towards him, coiling himself around.

"Good job, Beast Boy!" Robin said as he approached. He reached into Chang's suit, and pulled out a small blue disc.

"You call this miserable failure 'efficient', Chang?" one of the people on the monitors asked. "You can keep your pieces of junk!" The monitor immediately shut off, and the rest shortly followed suit.

"Looks like this is the Pantheon series schematics. Care to do the honors, Starfire?" Robin tossed the disc into the air, and with a simple _zap!_, Starfire destroyed the disc, the remains crumbling to ash as they dropped to the floor. "Now then, Professor, let's have a little chat about how you got that disc..."

* * *

That evening, in the tower's infirmary, Raven had just finished sealing up Zero's injury.

"There," she said as the bluish glow faded from her hands, "you might still feel a little pain, but it'll fade in a few hours."

"Thanks," Zero said. "I guess that's two I owe you, now."

"Hey, at least you didn't lose another limb," Beast Boy said, who was then quickly nudged by Cyborg.

"You probably don't want to hear it," said Robin, "but you got pretty reckless back there, Zero."

"Yeah, I know," Zero said, slapping himself on the forehead. "I let myself get worked up over it. It's just that when I saw those Pantheon copies this morning, I started flipping out, thinking X actually escaped. It just grinds my gears to see anything that reminds me of him..."

"Well, you can relax now," said Cyborg. "According to Chang, he stole the schematics before X was arrested, and now the only copy's toast."

"It's been a long day," said Robin. "We should all get some well-deserved rest."

"Agreed," said Starfire. "I wish you all the pleasant dreams." The Titans all began to head out of the infirmary. Zero got out of his bed, and just as Raven was about to leave the room, he placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Hold on a second," he said to her.

"What now?" Raven asked.

"I didn't get a chance to answer your question earlier, about why I wanted to get to know you better. It's because I... I think I'm in love with you."

"!" Raven's eyes widened for a moment. Zero felt a very subtle trembling from her, before she quickly regained her composure.

"I-I know it seems a little sudden, but–"

"Good night," Raven cut him off as she abruptly left the room.

"Raven..." Zero stood alone in the room. "Way to go... guess that's why they call me Zero..."


	4. Uncertainty

**Zero Saga: Taking the Chance by Exdeathmore**

* * *

**Chapter 3: Uncertainty**

'_Why didn't you hear him out?_'

"He already said too much."

'_Is that the only reason?_'

"He shouldn't get too close. It'll only end up hurting."

'_Hurt who, him or you?_'

"If he knew everything about me, he would change his mind."

'_If you want him to keep away, then why don't you tell him?_'

"..."

* * *

It was relatively quiet in Jump City the next day. The bay waters were calm, traffic was light, little pedestrian activity, as if life itself was taking a holiday. Even things at Titans Tower seemed to be moving at a sluggish pace. The Titans still seemed slightly exhausted from the Pantheon clone incident from yesterday, save for one. Zero wandered down the halls of the tower alone.

"There has to be something remotely interesting I can do today," he said to himself. As he kept walking, he ended up coming across Raven. They both stopped, looking at eachother. "Raven..."

"..." Raven remained silent as she walked around him.

"Listen, about last night... I didn't mean to drop it on you so suddenly, and–" Raven ignored Zero as she kept walking, disappearing around a corner before he could finish. Zero let out a deep sigh as he continued on his way, looking depressed.

"Sorry, Zero..." Raven said to herself, "but it's for your own good..."

'_...You're such a horrible liar._'

* * *

In the living room, Starfire was sitting at the sofa, watching the latest installment of "World of Fungus" on TV when Zero came into the room.

"Good morning to you, Zero!" Starfire said cheerfully.

"Morning, Star..." Zero said in a melancholy tone.

"Please, would you wish to join me in couching the potato and watching 'World of Fungus'?"

"Sure, whatever..." Zero hopped over the couch and slumped down in a seat next to her.

"Something troubles you?"

"How could you tell?"

"You look gloomier than the nights on the swamp moons of Drenthax IV. Do you wish to speak about it?"

"...How did you do it, Star?"

"Do what?"

"How did you ever get Robin to fully open up to you? I mean, he's pretty thick-skinned, and getting through to him seems like no easy feat. So, how did you pull it off?"

"Are you having troubles with Robin?"

"...Can you keep a secret, Starfire?"

"I do not like to keep secrets, but I can."

"Good enough for me. I'm not having problems with Robin... it's Raven."

* * *

'_I still say you should give him a chance._'

"Why? To get his hopes up, only to leave him crashing back down?"

'_He's the first person to say something like that to you so directly. I know you want to give him a chance._"

"You don't know anything!"

'_I do know... because I am you..._'

* * *

Later that day, as Zero headed back towards Raven's room, he passed by Cyborg and Beast Boy.

"Hey, Zero!" Beast Boy called out to him. "Wanna join Cyborg and me in a three-way Stankball free-for-all?"

"Sorry, Beast Boy," Zero said, "I'm gonna have to take a rain check on that."

"Yo, what's up?" Cyborg asked him. "It's not like you to turn down a nice, dirty round of Stankball."

"I've got some... personal business to take care of first. You two have fun." Zero then walked away, leaving his friends completely in the dark.

* * *

"Raven," Zero called, knocking on her door. "It's me. We need to talk."

"There's nothing for us to talk about," Raven said from the other side, not opening the door.

"Yes there is, and you know it. This isn't going to go away until we _both _put it aside. I did mean what I said last night, except now, I don't think, I know... I _am_ in love with you."

"..." There was a brief silence. "Then what is it? What is it about me that attracts you to me?"

"Because when I look at you, it reminds me of... myself."

* * *

_I spent almost half my life living on the streets of New York, with no home, no family. I had nowhere to go, nobody's example to follow, and I had to break the law just to survive. I had to steal food and money almost everyday to get by, and I always found myself running from the law. People looked at me and saw me as a nuisance, a troublemaker. They didn't want me, they just wanted me to disappear, and I did... when I joined the agency._

_I thought I had finally found a place where I belonged, somewhere people would accept me. But even then, I felt distant, apart from others. I was no saint; I felt the tension everywhere I went. I had trouble cooperating with others, I had a short temper, and when I looked at some of them, they were afraid of me. I was hurting inside, I wanted it to stop, so I decided to cement that intangible wall I built around me. But then someone came into my life, and almost in an instant, they finally tore down that wall that took my whole life to build up._

_That person... was my former partner._

_She always tried to approach me with a smiling face and friendly demeanor, but at the time, I wanted nothing to do with it, so I pushed her away. Of course she got angry at me, it was normal, considering that at the time, I was a complete and total asshole. But she never stopped. She kept chipping away at that wall every opportunity she got, hoping that eventually a crack would form... and it did._

_I was confused at that moment. I didn't know whether to hate her guts, or to be grateful for what she did to me. I felt it, slowly but surely, I was changing. And the more I was around her, the more I changed. Then I noticed something else: the people around me seemed more tolerable, accepting of me. I came to the realization that it wasn't them avoiding me, it was me pushing them all back, the entire time. I wanted to thank my partner for everything she had done for me, even though no one had asked her to._

_But I would never get that chance._

_After her passing, I began to spiral back down. The wall that had disappeared was starting to build itself. Before it could finish reforming, however, I remembered her. I was living proof of her existence, of what kind of person she really was. If I let that vanish, there would be nothing left of her. I held on to those memories, of times where for the first time, I actually meant something to someone other than myself. Times when I was genuinely happy... I held on to them, and I still do._

* * *

"...When I look in your eyes, Raven," Zero continued, "to me, it's like looking at a mirror. On the outside, you seem calm and collected, but to me, you always look so sad... I've already been there, and I can't stand the thought of someone else going through that." Suddenly, the door to Raven's room slid open, and there she stood in the doorway.

"Just, stop. Stop it," Raven said in an upset, wavering voice. "What do you want from me?" Zero placed his hands on her shoulders.

"I want to hear what you think of me," Zero answered, "even if you don't feel the same way. And, if you would allow me, I want to be able to help you, the same way my partner once helped me. I want to hear it straight from you."

"I can't... I just can't, okay!?" Raven looked away, trying to hold back a tear.

"Why not? Why can't you give me an answer?"

"If Robin did tell you everything he knew about me, you already know that my powers are affected directly by my emotions. The more I feel, the more it's released, and the harder it gets to control. I can't give in to _any_ of my emotions, not just the bad ones. What if you got hurt because I tried to express myself? What if–"

"'What if'... What if you're wrong? What if nothing bad actually happens? How can you be so certain if you've never taken that chance before?"

"Zero..."

"I'm willing to take any risk there might be. That's how much I care about you, but it doesn't mean anything if I don't even know how you feel." Zero began to pull himself closer to Raven.

"Zero, please, don't..."

"Then push me back."

"I... I..." Raven began to tremble as Zero came closer, until they were close enough to feel eachother's breath. Before she could even react, she felt his lips on hers. She was completely paralyzed for a moment, until suddenly, a black bolt shot out from her body, striking Zero, and knocking him into the wall on the other side of the hallway, leaving a dent in it. "Zero!" she gasped as she watched him fall to the floor.

"Ow..." Zero grunted as he got back up. "What just happened? What hit me?" He looked up at Raven, and saw her face full of dread.

"Now do you understand!?" Raven yelled at him. "_This_ is why I can't afford to show any emotions! You were better off just keeping it to yourself!" Raven ran back into her room, slamming the door shut.

"Raven, wait!" Zero tried calling out to her, but it was too late. Just then, Robin came running down the hall.

"I heard a loud bang, and I thought I heard Raven yelling," Robin said. "Zero? What just happened?"

"I... don't know," Zero said as Robin helped him to his feet. "Augh, my head..."

"Did you two have a fight?" Robin looked at the wall and saw the dent left by Zero's impact. "And... what happened to the wall?" He then went over to Raven's door and started knocking. "Raven, what just happened here?"

"Wait, Robin," Zero interrupted. "I... don't think now is the best time to disturb her."

"Are you gonna be okay? You look a little bruised."

"Yeah... yeah, I'll be fine. I'll explain what happened, but first, I think I need to... lie down... for a little..." Before Zero could finish, he fell back down.

"Zero? Zero!" Robin grabbed Zero and pulled him up, hoisting his arm over his shoulder. "Hang on, Zero, we need to get you to your room."

"I'll be fine, really... Just need some rest..." Robin continued to prop Zero up as they both walked away.

* * *

"Zero... you idiot..."


End file.
